Pipe clamp



May 26, 1931. G; KRELL 1,806,944 I A TTORNE Y May 26, 1.931. G, KRELL 1,806,944

PIPE cLAMP v Fea oct. 7, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR A TTORNEY G. KRELL May 26, 1931.

P'IPE CLAMP I Filed Oct. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Gear e /f/e// A'TTORNEY May 26, 1931. G, KRELL 1,806,944

PIPE CLAMP Filed Oct. 7. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY G. KRELL HPE cLAmP May 26, 1931.

i'd oct. 7, 1929 5 sheets-sheet 5 INVENTOR A Y 0/ /e// A TTORNE Y Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT: oFFcaf GEQVRGEYKRELL, or .usArULria i oxtAnoMA s I v f .Application filed October 7, 1929. Serial Ho. 397,901,

Myiinvention relates to clamps, and more particularly to clamps Iof the slip type lfor letting in or removing tubing or casing to or from an oil Well, the principalfobject of the invention beingto. adapt the'clamp for use with longer bails Vor in lower derricks than is possible this type. f

In accomplishingthis object, mount the slips in carriers movable laterally to4 initial i setfpo'sition` inV response to initialV upwar'd movement, offi the bails i, and g then efiect the gripping, relation between the slipsl anda Vpipe through'sh-ift-of the slips f in the carriers inf'response to contact of the slip [mechanism with a, coupling collar on the pipe, 'th'e'reby'v 'gaining an advantage in length .of the bails or height of the der rick,`` correspondingfto the saving in vertical' movement effiectedfby initial setting of the carriers: beforefithe clamp starts its 4upvvard movement through liftl ofv the bails.

In the accompanyng drawings Fig. l is a perspective View of a clamp 251emhodying my Vimprovements applied to;

vig. .5, is adetail perspective view; ofone of theframe members. v Fig.` 6V is a detailperspective view.. of one of the slipcarriers,

Fig.l 7 isl a a detailperspective, vvievvof one ofthe slipfsettingdevices. i I Referringindetail to the, drawings l-l' desgate paired frame memberss preferably of semi-elliptical form, having mating lugs 21-2' "at their rear edges, connected' by a'pinf for hinging the members togetherjandhaving .one a latch lug 4 andl the other; a latchf yoke 5 at Vits forward edge for latching the members in closed relation. 6 designate's a latch spring including a loop 7 on the yoke pin`8, a tail'9 bearing against the frame member-1'` and an arm 10 bear-` with the -present. clamp, Vof' ing against the yoke. ll designates, a stop, onone of the yokearms, engageable with a. boss12 on the faceyof the frame dmember l'i', and13 a handle member on thelatchyoke Whereby theflyoke `is swung on its pi'vot::55 against the tension of spring e6' to unlatchfi 'the frame and Whereby the frame may be i openedby'further pull on the: handle after the stop 11 has'engaged the boss 122` The i spring automatically returns;l the yoketowOyl 'latching position When the4 ;handle r is re-w leased. f'

jllf designates grooves int-he linnerfaces.. of the frame members fora purpose presenti ly. described, and 15 slots in the ends ofthe frame members Within Which bail hooks 16 i are pivotally mountedon pins'vl7' fittedfinfv openings 18 in the frame members. A'Eacliv` of the ihooks 16V includes .an outer,V` downs turned hook end 19 providing a rolling seat,70.

20 'for a supporting bail 21, and lan, inner cam end 22 ,forV engaging oneV of a pair-'of i slip carriers 23-23'. i' i v Each of the slip carriers 23-23 is preferf ably semi-Circular in cross section to fit snugly and and: have sliding movement Within a, corresponding frame Vmember and has a guideJ rib 24 on its outerfaceseatedin the'groove 14 ofits frame member to permit horizontal; andprevent vertical movement. off-'80'` the carrienmem-ber ;in the frame-member, i

andeachv 'carrierhmember has f an farcuate i socket'2 in litsV outergface andextending through V'the. rilo` n24'` forl seating the cam' 22 of.: abailhookl; s' -g Each ofthe carrier members 23-23' has` a downvvardly tapered bore portion26, provvvided in its Wall with 'vertical grooves27fi` 7 and in,- its bottom; face with recessesfi 28 be: i

neath the grooves ,flfor1ning spring seats 29` j and lbolt head sockets v30, the seatso29 being inclined to lie ata rightl angleto the tapered Wall ofthe carrier bore and having upstanding keeper 'lips 31, and theupper edge of the carrier member having built up bossesw 32 P inclined on their upper faces :tov parallelithe spring seats. Extending i through ap'er-v I tures 33 ands34=v in the spring' seats=29' andi V built up bosses 32 are boltsBhavingheads on the inclined faces of the bosses 32. Surrounding the bolts within the grooves 27 and seated on the seats 29 are coil springs 38 for a purpose presently described.

In the back center of each of the slip carrier members 23-23' and extending vertically therethrough is a T slot 39, the body of which opens to the bore of its carrier member. The vertical grooves 27 are preferably located equidistant from the slot 39 and the edges of the carrier member for' a purpose presently described.

40 designates slips having straight wickered inner faces and tapered outer faces adapted to open and close in response to vertical movement in their carrier members in accordance with common practice and having angling lugs 41 extended into the grooves 27, slidably mounted on the bolts 35, and bearing on the tops of the springs 38 so that the slips are, by the springs, yieldingly held in elevated open position.

'Slidable in the T slots 39 are the T shaped bodies 42 of slip setting clevices 43, having arcuate base arms 44 at their lower ends located within the carrier bores beneath the slips and adapted to extend below the carrier members under the conditions and for the purpose presently described.

The slips and the bodies of the setting devices extend above the carriers and the bodies of the said devices have arcuate heads 45 overlying the slips to confine the slips between the base and the head members of the setting devices. The ends of the heads 45 at the hinged end of the completed structure have overlying ears 46 curved inwardly to project interiorly of the slip bore when the clamp is opened and thereby protect'the slip wickers from damaging contact by tubing over which the clamp is applied, and to eX- clude the tubing fromvthe hinge joint when the clamp is being set in the tubing.

The slip carriers 23-23' are of such dimensions as to contact at their inner vertical edges prior to contact of the slips with the p1pe,'when moved laterally by the bail actuated cams, thereby effecting the initial setting of the slip so that a slight vertical movement of the slips will insure the gripping contact with the pipe, and the gripping relation is maintained and enhanced by translation of weight of the clamp and its load into thrust of the slips against the pipe through the cam mechanism.

With the parts constructed and assembled as described when the clamp is to be applied to pipe, such as well tubing or casing,the frame members are opened on their hinge and moved over and closed onto the pipe.

The clamp being suspended from the bails; by the bail hooks, weight of the parts induces a c am action of the bail hooks on the. slip carriers, tending to move the slip carriers inwardly toward each other and locate,v

the slips in circular assembly about the pipe. The frame members are then latched together and the clamp moved upwardly along the pipe by lift of the bails, but without contact of the wickers on the slips with the surface of the pipe, the slips being retained in upwardly spaced relation by the springs 38. Vhen, in such upward movement, the heads of the slip setting devices contact a coupling collar on the pipe, the slips are held by such contact and, the balance of the clamp continuing the upward movement, the tapered walls of the slip carriers move the slips against the pipe so that the pipe is held securely by the slips and may be carried by the clamp to and into or from the well in accordance with common practice.

When the pipe is'lowered onto the derrick fioor or onto other pipe in the well, the clamp is relieved of weight of the pipe and tends to move downwardly along the pipe, opening the slips so that the clamp may be unlatched and removed from the pipe.

YWhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

l. clamp of the character described, including elevating means, slip carriers operably connected with the elevating means for lateral movement in response to initial vertical movement of said means and slips movably mounted in the carriers.

2. A clamp of the character described, including elevating means, slip carriers operably connected with the elevating means for limited lateral movement in response to initial vertical movement of said means and slips movably mounted in the carriers.

3. A clamp of the character described, including elevating means, slip carriers having lateral movement in response to initial vertical movement of said means, slips movably mounted in the carriers, and means yieldingly urging the slips to open position in the carriers. I

4. A clamp of the character described, including elevating means, slip carriers operably connected with the elevating means for `llateral movement in response to initial vertical movement of the elevating means, slips movably mounted in the carriers, means yieldingly urging the slips toV open position in the carriers, and means engageable with a protuberance on the pipe to be engaged by the slips for shifting the slips upon lift vof the clamp responsive to continued vertical .movement of, said elevating means.

5. A clamp of the character described, including a frame, slip carriers keyed to the lframe for lateral opening and closing movement therein, elevating means operable to first close the carriers and then lift the frame, and slip mechanism normally yieldingly retained in open position and engageable with a protuberance on a pipe for f shifting said mechanism to gripping relation with the pipe.

6. A clamp of the character described, including a frame, slip carriers slidably b mounted in the frame, cams on the frame and engaging the carriers, hanger bails cooperative with the carriers to support the frame and effect sliding movement of the carriers in response to initial vertical movem ment of the bails and lift of the frame in response'to continued vertical movement of the bails, slips in said carriers,`V means normally urging the slips to open osition, and means engageable wth a protu erance on a pipe for shifting the slips to gripping relation with the pipe.

7. A clamp of the character described, including hingedly connected frame members having laterally enlongated interior chambers provided with transverse guide rooves, slip carriers complementary to the rameV members having ribs slidable in said guide grooves to key the carriers to the frame i members, cam members mounted on the frame members engageable with the carriers and having bail hooks at their outer ends, bails engaging'said hooks to firstishift the carriers and then lift the frame When the hails are raised, and slips in said carriers.

8. A clamp of the character described, in-

cluding a frame, slip carriers in said frame, slips in and anchored to said carriers, and slip setting devices keyed to the carriers and engageable with a protuberance 'on a pipe enclosed by the slips to shift the slips to gripping relation Withthe pipe.

9. A clamp of the character described, in-

i cluding a frame, slip carriers in said frame,

r slips in said carriers, slip setting devices i 40 keyed for vertical movement in the carriers,

having head and base portions engaging opposte ends of the slips, the head portions being engageable with a protuberance'on the pipe to shift the slips in the carriers. I 10. A clamp of the character described,

including hingedly connected frame members, slip carriers slidable in the frame members, slips in said carriers, slip setting devices slidable in saidV carriers having heads engageable with a protuberance on a pipe to shift the slips, and having arms shaped to extend into the clamp when the clamp is opened for the purpose set forth.

11. A clamp of the character described, including elevating means, slip carriers operably connected with the elevating means having lateral movement in response tovertical movement of the elevating means, slips movably mounted in the carriers, and slip U setting devices engageable with a protuberance on a pipe to shift the slips to gripping elevation with the pipe.

In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature.

p GEORGE KRELL. 

